Wildlife of The Solway Firth [88] The Lugworm
Wildlife of The Solway Firth [88]
The Lugworm (Arenicola marina)
by Mark Vollers, Lake District Coast Aquarium
Everyone who enjoys a stroll across a sandy Solway Firth beach when the tide has retreated will have observed the little squiggly pyramids of sand which indicate the presence of a lugworm in it’s burrow beneath.
This worm belongs to a major group of segmented worms, the Annelids which have successfully colonised both marine and terrestrial habitats and includes the familiar earthworm. The adult lugworm sets up home in a ‘U’ shaped burrow between 20-40cm deep (see diagram) which allows it to live safe from predation as long as tidal action does not expose them (except for bait diggers of course!), taking in sand from which it extracts and digests organic particulate matter including bacteria and diatoms.
The worm maintains a continuous small flow of water through its tunnel by slight body movements that keeps the sand fluidised, allowing digested sand to build up a ‘cast’ on the surface and bringing down sediment rich sand from the surface for its mouth to feed on.
Colonies of lugworm breed annually over a period of a few days during which the males release sperm simultaneously out of their burrows. This coordinated action happens when they sense pheromones released by nearby females which then stop feeding for a few days so that the sperm entering their burrows can fertilise their eggs. The small worms that develop initially set up their burrows higher up on the beach, gradually moving back down as they grow. Lugworm are a bait of choice for many sea anglers who can often be seen digging where worm casts are prolific.
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